Poch: Carabao Cup ‘would not change the life of Tottenham’

Matt Stead

Mauricio Pochettino believes winning the FA Cup or Carabao Cup would make little difference to Tottenham and claims the Premier League and Champions League are the “two real trophies”.

Spurs have not won a major trophy of any kind since lifting the League Cup in 2008 and the last time they won the FA Cup was in 1991.

Pochettino’s men have gone close in the title race for the past two seasons before missing out to Leicester and then Chelsea, while Champions League qualification remains essential ahead of their move to a new £800million stadium next year.

Tottenham host West Ham in the last 16 of the Carabao Cup on Wednesday but Pochettino insists the club’s priorities lie firmly elsewhere.

“Our objective is to win the Premier League, to win the Champions League – for me the two real trophies,” Pochettino said.

“And then there is the FA Cup of course I would like to win and I would like to win the Carabao Cup, but if you want to be a big team and fight for big things, I think it is impossible if you don’t use all the squad and rotate in England.”

Pochettino added: “The manager always wants to win. To win the Carabao Cup? Yes, of course but it would not change the life of Tottenham.

“The FA Cup? Fantastic, I would love to win all the competitions in the world but it really changes your life if you win the Premier League or the Champions League. That is the truth.”